Documenting What You See
If you don't write it down, it didn't happen. Documentation is what protects the customer, the tech, and the dealership — and it's what makes the MPVI sing.
Capture walk-around findings in a way that protects the dealership, sets the technician up for a clean MPVI, and gives the customer confidence that nothing was missed.
What Gets Documented
Three categories of finding should always make it onto the RO:
1. Pre-existing damage
Every visible ding, scratch, scuff, or dent. Doesn't matter how minor. Doesn't matter if "the customer obviously already knows about it." Document it.
Any damage you don't document is damage the dealership might end up paying to repair. If the customer points at a scratch when they pick up the car and says "that wasn't there before," your documentation is the only thing that says otherwise. No documentation = the dealership eats it.
2. Customer-stated concerns
Anything they brought up — even casually — gets written down word-for-word in their language. "Sometimes it makes a noise on the highway" is not the same as "vibration above 60 mph." Capture what they actually said. The tech can translate.
3. Walk-around findings to verify
Anything you spotted that the tech needs to confirm or measure. The walk-around gives the tech a head start; the documentation is how that head start gets delivered.
How to Write It
Two principles: specific and locatable.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Scratch on the door | 3" horizontal scratch on driver rear door, lower panel, pre-existing |
| Tire wear | Both front tires showing inside-edge wear, est. 4/32" — tech to measure |
| Customer says noise | Customer states: "thumping noise from front when braking, intermittent, worse cold" |
| Check engine light | CEL on at arrival, no flashing, customer states it's been on ~2 weeks |
| Possible leak | Wet spot on ground behind rear passenger tire, small, color unclear — tech to verify |
The Walk-Around Note Block
Build a standard note format every advisor uses, so techs know exactly where to look. Suggested structure:
WALK-AROUND NOTES — [Date / Advisor Initials] PRE-EXISTING: - [damage item with location] - [damage item with location] CUSTOMER CONCERNS (verbatim): - "[customer's own words]" FLAGGED FOR TECH: - [item to verify, with location and reason] - [item to verify, with location and reason] WARNING LIGHTS AT ARRIVAL: - [each light, on or off] MILEAGE AT ARRIVAL: [exact]
Same block on every RO. Tech opens the ticket and knows where to find everything. No hunting through the system.
Customer-Visible vs. Tech-Only Notes
Some DMS systems split internal notes from customer-facing notes. Know your store's setup:
- Customer-visible: their concerns, the work approved, recommendations made. Keep it clean and professional — they will read it.
- Tech-only: walk-around flags, prior-decline reminders, anything that requires advisor-tech context. Be direct and specific. Skip the small talk.
Documentation Checklist
Common Mistakes
- "I'll write it up after lunch" — and then forgetting half the findings.
- Vague language: "scratch on car," "tires worn," "weird noise."
- Skipping documentation because "this customer's chill, they won't care."
- Writing the customer concern in your translation, not their words.
- Leaving warning lights off the RO because they "weren't part of the appointment."
Manager Coaching Tip
Pull five random ROs from yesterday and check the note block format. Is pre-existing damage logged? Are customer concerns in their own words? Are walk-around findings flagged for the tech? If three out of five are missing pieces, the team needs a refresher — not a write-up. The format only sticks when it's reinforced weekly.